Page:Where the Dead Men Lie.djvu/184



5. A VISION OUT WEST, p. 19.—Now first published. The title in MS. is ‘Westward the course of empire rolls.’

Stanza 9. ‘Mitchell grass.’ Vernacular for astrebla elymoides and other species of astrebla—a perennial grass common to interior eastern Australia. The seeds are carried in ears like small wheat ears, and were formerly used for food by the aborigines. ‘Mitchell’ is owed to Mitchell the explorer (1792-1855.)

6. JIM'S WHIP, p. 26.

Stanza 1. ‘sallee.’ Vernacular for one of the 300 or so Australian species of acacia. Wattle, yarran, mulga, brigalow, myall, &c., are other common names of some of them. These names seem applied almost indiscriminately to different species in different districts—one man's ‘yarran’ being another man's ‘myall,’ and so on—to the confusion of botanists. Boake possibly refers to acacia longifolia—a good-sized shrub or small tree.

8. A VALENTINE, p. 35.

Stanza 5. ‘lignum.’ This is the swamp lignum, or native broom (viminaria denudata). It is a soft-wooded shrub growing up to 20ft. high. Found throughout Australia. In ‘Fogarty's Gin,’ p. 53, it is again mentioned.

15. HOW POLLY PAID FOR HER KEEP, p. 67. A note by author was appended: ‘Where a mail road passes through a fence it is customary to dispense with a gate, a lane being built on either side of the opening instead, which goes by the name of a “break.”’

Stanza 17. ‘Carabost break.’ To Boake's note it may be added that from each extremity of the break or opening in the fence barriers (generally of brush)